Submission (#7861) Approved

Silveil had always held a sort of charm, a soft hush blanketing the land beneath its starless sky. The darkness wasn't oppressive here, instead it was gentle, kind. The trees glittered and glistened with a collection of different colours, their leaves dusted with flecks of bioluminescent light, as if a thousand tiny stars had come to rest among their branches. Glowing fungi, nestled at the base of trunks or sprouting between stones, painted the forest floor. Firefly like specks bobbed lazily in the air, dancing around fronds of phosphorescent ferns.

To Shimmer, it felt like walking through a dream. To Gloom, it was mushroom heaven.

"Mum! Look at this one! It’s shaped like a cat’s ear!" Gloom called, waving her over with both paws. His dark blue fur nearly blended into the scenery, but the faint glow of his markings made him easy to follow.

Shimmer padded over, her tail flicking with quiet amusement. "Very nice, Gloom. That's a glowcap. They like the base of willowstalk trees. See how its stem curls a bit? Means it’s mature."

Gloom beamed with pride. "I'm gonna be a mushroom expert someday!" he declared, stuffing a sketch into his bag. His pages were already half filled with notes and doodles, little round mushrooms, tall skinny ones, a few he’d labeled “suspiciously wiggly.”

"You’re well on your way," Shimmer said, ruffling his head fur gently. He giggled and darted ahead again.

They wandered deeper into the forest, where the light was dimmer, more mysterious. The canopy thickened, and strange luminous vines drooped like sleepy tendrils from branches above. Shimmer kept pace, listening to the soft crunch of moss beneath her paws and the ever-present, soothing hum of Silveil’s nocturnal life.

Then—

A shriek.

"Muuuuuuum!!"

Shimmer's ears perked up. She whipped her head around, spotting Gloom barreling back toward her, eyes wide with alarm.

"What’s wrong?!" she asked, bracing herself as he flung himself into her chest.

"Rock creatures! With faces! They're in a circle! What if they're faeries trying to kidnap me and replace me with a log?!"

She blinked. "A... log?"

Gloom nodded fiercely, still clinging to her. "That’s what faeries do! I read it in a book once! You wouldn’t even know it wasn’t me until it started growing mushrooms!"

Suppressing a laugh, Shimmer smoothed a paw over his back. "Alright, alright. Why don’t you show me these terrifying creatures, and we’ll see what’s going on."

He reluctantly led her to a clearing not far from where he'd been exploring. There, in the middle of the open space, sat a perfect circle of rocks—each about the size of a paw, each with a face drawn crudely onto it in white chalk. Some were smiling, others frowning, one or two had spiral eyes or crooked teeth.

Gloom pointed dramatically. "There! See?! They’re plotting something, I know it."

Shimmer walked forward, careful not to step on any of them. "Gloom, sweetheart, these aren’t faeries."

"But they’re in a circle! Circles are magic!"

Stooping down, she picked one up. Gloom made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a yelp.

"Be careful! What if it curses you?!"

She turned it in her paw, inspecting the face. "Hmm. Cursed to have a bad hair day, maybe. Look—it’s just chalk. Someone drew this."

"But who? And why?"

Shimmer smiled, her voice soft with amusement. "Well, you know the rumors, right? About the rockjus?"

His eyes lit up. "The prankster? Who leaves silly rocks all over Silveil?"

"Exactly. Looks like they’ve been busy."

She flicked the little rock gently toward the center of the circle. Gloom shrieked again, covering his face.

"Mum!!"

Laughing now, Shimmer nudged him. "Come on, Gloom. Look closer. No magic, no faeries. Just... a bunch of silly little rock faces. Probably meant to make someone laugh."

He peeked between his paws. Cautiously, he crept forward. The rocks didn’t move. No sudden sparkle of magic, no swirling winds. He squinted down at one with a toothy grin drawn lopsidedly across its surface.

"...They’re really just rocks," he said, incredulous.

Shimmer nodded. "Told you."

He glanced up at her. "Do you think the prankster comes out here to do these at night?"

"Maybe. Or maybe they just wanted to do something fun for anyone wandering the woods."

They sat there for a moment in the quiet, the gentle forest glow surrounding them. The circle of rock faces seemed less ominous now more ridiculous than anything. Gloom giggled.

"It’s kind of hilarious," he admitted. "Like they’re having a little rock party."

Shimmer laughed too, her eyes crinkling. "A very serious rock party. Don’t disturb the ritual."

Gloom picked up a stick and gently drew a mustache on one of the rocks. "Now he’s the fancy one."

That set them both off again, the clearing echoing with their laughter. Shimmer had to wipe at the corners of her eyes.

When they finally caught their breath, Shimmer gave Gloom a gentle nudge. "Come on, let’s leave these mysterious partygoers to their business. Maybe another explorer will find them and think they’ve stumbled into something secret."

Gloom nodded, already scribbling ideas into his sketchbook. "I’m gonna draw this whole thing. I bet nobody will believe it."

"Add a warning," Shimmer teased. "Beware: highly suspicious and extremely festive."

As they walked back through the luminous forest, their laughter still hanging in the air, the clearing behind them remained silent save for the whisper of glowing leaves in the wind and the faint chalk grin of the rockjus, ever watchful and ever absurd.